Galway East TD Ciarán Cannon has announced that he will not contest the next general election, citing rising “toxicity in politics” as part of the reason he’s stepping away.

His decision came just 24 hours before Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s shock decision to step aside.

The Fine Gael leader took the world of politics by surprise with his announcement yesterday – becoming the party’s eleventh to opt out ahead of the next election.

A day earlier, Deputy Cannon (58) announced that he will leave politics at the next election.

The Kiltullagh man said the levels of abuse suffered by politicians was vastly different to when his career started 20 years ago and it had “been a factor in my decision to leave”.

“There’s a coarseness, a toxicity in politics now that was barely palpable twenty years ago. None of us ask to be put on a pedestal or to be treated any differently. We just ask to be treated with the same civility and respect as anyone else doing their job,” said Deputy Cannon.

Caption: Deputy Ciaran Cannon.

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